The High Court yesterday ordered a Donegal fish-processing company to allow sea fisheries officers to enter its premises to inspect the process of weighing catches.
The Department of the Marine sought an injunction after a week stand-off between a leading fish- processing factory in Killybegs and sea fisheries officers.
Ms Justice Mary Laffoy granted the injunction to the department allowing its officers to inspect the Gallagher's Sea Food plant.
A spokesperson for the department said last night the officers would enter the factory today.
Last week, 12 fish-processing plants in Killybegs barred officials hired last year on temporary contracts by the Department of the Marine from entering their premises. The issue came to a head following charges by the department that current landing statistics are meaningless as many catch sizes are recorded fraudulently.
The practice at Killybegs and other Irish fishing ports until last year was that mackerel and herring catches were weighed at quayside, although the European Commission insisted that automatic weighing machines would have to be in place.
The department and the European Commission wanted changes because they suspected the accuracy of the quayside weighing system.
Last November, the department agreed with the industry that it would recruit temporary staff to monitor the arrival, weighing and departure of fish from the plants.
Sea fishery protection officers have full powers to inspect trawlers and fish-processing plants, although the temporary staff do not have similar powers.
Meanwhile, two European Commission officials arrived in Ireland this week to begin a review of the State's regulations to protect fish stocks. The commission is currently engaged in a serious campaign to enforce the EU common fisheries policy.
The French government was fined another €57 million in recent days for its failure to enforce fishery control measures. It was initially fined €25 million, with further fines to follow every six months until EU law is enforced.
Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey again argued in the Seanad yesterday that the controversial Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill was necessary to protect the Irish taxpayer against similar fines.
